Acquisition: A Just Business Mafia Romance
Page 17
“I have to get out of here now. Are you going to help me?”
Without another word, the ex-waiter took her hand and started running with her, leading her down the long driveway, packed with cars parked by the valets on duty until they reached the valet station, the men right behind them.
The man who was running the valet service came over to greet them, his gaze moving over their shoulders to the men running behind them. “What’s going on, Euan?”
“We need to get her out of here right now, Connor.”
Whoever he was, he obviously knew the waiter, and he didn’t argue. He held up a pair of keys, looking like he’d been in the process of parking the elegant sports car waiting with its door open. “We’ll just borrow this, shall we?”
She knew it was a bad idea, but she was desperate to escape. She slid into the backseat, since she was the smallest of the three of them and could fit in easiest in the almost nonexistent space. The two men hopped into the front, with the one identified as Connor starting the engine and pulling away with the squeal of rubber on asphalt.
He drove like an Indy 500 competitor as he made several twists and turns on the road. She glanced behind her, alarmed when she saw headlights from an SUV approaching quickly in the twilight. She let out a little whimper and fastened her seatbelt with shaking hands as the car turned a corner so sharply she was almost surprised they didn’t tip onto two wheels. Unfortunately, the SUV seemed to keep pace, at least for the first couple of miles.
Connor drove with obvious skill and confidence, zooming through the streets at least twenty-five miles over the speed limit, soon shaking off the SUV that had been tailing them.
She breathed a sigh of relief when he pulled in to a parking lot a few minutes later. “Did we lose them?”
Connor nodded, his eyes meeting hers in the rearview mirror. “They’re somewhere back there in the dust.”
It was another inappropriate moment to notice his eyes were similar to Euan’s, green with gold and brown flecks, and though his hair was rich black, she realized they shared similar bone structure. They must be related, either brothers or cousins, perhaps. Guilt suddenly swept through her. “I’m so sorry. I got you both fired tonight.” She clamped a hand over her mouth. “Oh, they’re going to arrest you for stealing the car. I’ll do my best to make sure you don’t get in trouble.”
Connor seemed unconcerned. “We’re just going to leave it here, and it’s no worse for the wear. They’ll get their car back, and they won’t be able to find me or my brother.” He sounded confident in that.
She hoped he was right as she nodded. They exited the car first, and Euan offered her a hand when she started to slip out of the backseat. She took it, clinging gratefully for a moment longer than necessary once her feet were on the parking lot. She gave him a shaky smile. “You have no idea how grateful I am to both of you for rescuing me.”
Connor lifted an eyebrow as he came closer. “Rescuing?”
Euan and Connor exchanged a glance. “I’ll explain it all later,” said Euan.
Connor nodded just once, apparently accepting his brother at his word.
She reached for her wallet. “I don’t have much cash, but I’ll happily give you what I have. I really appreciate the help.”
“Keep your money, princess,” said Connor, his voice edging toward disdainful. “You can’t buy your way out of this.”
She glared at him. “I’m not trying to buy my way out of anything. I was simply trying to express some gratitude. If you don’t want the money, that’s fine. Once again, thank you for your help.” She turned away from them, intent on finding a quiet place she could hide long enough to call her brothers. Any of the three would immediately drop what they were doing and come pick her up.
She felt like an idiot for having completely turned her back on her parents, and for having distanced herself from her brothers. She’d ignored the triplets’ gentle admonishments and entreaties to make up with their mother, because she’d been determined to connect with the Thorne family, and she’d still felt raw and betrayed at discovering the woman she thought was her mother wasn’t really her mother at all.
She froze when Euan put a hand on her shoulder, turning to look at him. “Yes?”
“Why don’t you come with us? We have a safe place, and I don’t want you to wander around this neighborhood alone.”
She looked around with fresh eyes, realizing they weren’t in the best location. Once again, she was grateful to her rescuer, and she nodded as she fell into step with him. She ignored Connor though, still stinging at his dismissal of the money she’d offered. She wasn’t upset because he hadn’t taken the cash, but because he treated her like she was a spoiled rich girl used to throwing money around to solve her problems.
She shifted slightly uncomfortably in her sneakers, realizing that might be at least partially true. She didn’t usually have problems, at least until the last eighteen months, but she was comfortable flashing the gold card her father had given her, even though she was estranged from them, and she was humbled to realize she probably would have thought money could solve any problem until this one arose. She still wasn’t going to apologize to him, because he was the one who’d been a rude ass, even if his conjecture was partially true.
They walked for several blocks, and she was soon turned around and completely lost. It was as though they were deliberately circling back multiple times, along with making random turns. She figured they were trying to ensure no one else followed them, but it also meant she had no idea how to get back to the parking lot, or even where she was.
Eventually, they led her to a small house that looked as rundown as the rest of the neighborhood. Connor used a key to open the door, and they all stepped through the entryway. Once inside, he closed the door behind him, engaging the locks. She was surprised to see the sophisticated biometric scanner on the front door of the older house, but apparently these guys took security seriously. She cleared her throat, looking at Euan. “Where’s your restroom?”
“I’ll show you.”
She followed him down the hall, past the living room, and into the first room on the left. He flicked on the light for her and stepped back, closing the door behind himself as he left. The room was on the small side, with older furnishings and a freestanding claw tub that looked like it could have come from the last century. Everything was clean and in good shape, and she was reassured to know she wasn’t going to fall through the floorboards as she stepped closer to the toilet.
After doing her business and washing her face, along with her hands, she used the hand towel to dry herself. As she rubbed it over her face to remove the moisture from the water she’d splashed on it, she caught a faint masculine scent, and it made her stomach clench. She wasn’t certain if it was Euan or Connor’s scent, or a combination of the two, but it was appealing, and her nipples beaded in her bra.
She looked down, embarrassed to see the long-sleeved T-shirt she’d chosen did nothing to hide the sudden proof of her arousal. Abruptly, she returned the hand towel to the ring and spent a moment pressing her arms against her breasts, trying to force her nipples to soften. It didn’t really work, so she just pulled out the shirt as much as she could to hide the evidence as she left the bathroom.
They were both in the living room, just standing there as though waiting for her. She smiled at them, trying to show her thanks. “You guys have really helped me out. I appreciate it. I’m going to call my brothers to come pick me up, but if there’s anything I can do for you to repay you, please let me know.”
Connor came closer to her, holding out his hand. “We need your phone, princess.”
She frowned at him. “You don’t have one?”
He laughed. “Of course I have one. This isn’t the Third World. I just need yours.”
A hint of apprehension swept through her. “Why do you need my phone? Are you out of minutes?”
Connor laughed again, but it was edged with bitterness. “You just assume I’m
on a prepaid plan? What, you don’t think I have good enough credit to get a real phone service?”
She took a step back. “I didn’t mean it that way. I was just trying to figure out why you’d want my phone when you have your own.”
“That’s simple. I don’t want you calling your brothers.”
She frowned at him before looking at Euan, hoping for some support or clarification. “But I need my brothers to pick me up. Any of the three will do it.”
Euan looked almost regretful when he shook his head. “I’m afraid you can’t do that, Sophia.”
She was starting to get irritated, and she crossed her arms over her chest as she glared at both of them. “And why not? What’s it to you?”
“You can’t call your brothers because you aren’t going anywhere. You’re our hostage,” said Connor, moving a step closer toward her in a menacing fashion as he wiggled his fingers in unspoken demand for her phone. “You aren’t going anywhere, Sophia.”
Buy HOSTILE TAKEOVER here, or read it for free on Kindle Unlimited
Also by Kiera Silver
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Kindle Unlimited.
The Just Business Mafia Romance Series
NEGOTIATION
ACQUISITION
MERGER
HOSTILE TAKEOVER
The Dark Mafia Series
Click on image for more information. Available for purchase on Amazon or free on Kindle Unlimited!
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SHANE
CORMAC
PATRICK
ALEXEI
FULL BUNDLE
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